The Key
by jellyman09
Summary: How Alec Lightwood ended up with the key to the apartment of Magnus Bane. Alec/Magnus


**The Key**

"I'm going away," Magnus announced loudly.

A jolt of mysterious panic running up his spine, Alec quickly sat up from his lazy position on the lounge, to stare at Magnus, who was swanning about the living room. "What? Where? When?"

Magnus ginned at the note of alarm in his voice as he approached Alec, hauling him "Business trip." He clicked his tongue in impatience. "Time to go, shadowhunter."

Alec frowned but let himself be pulled out of the living room. "When?"

Magnus laughed. "Now, it's almost two…or did you want to stay the night?" he asked suggestively, leering at Alec.

Alec rolled his eyes, trying to will his blush away at the thought, as Magnus pulled him into the main room. There was a time when he would have never considered—no, best not to think about that. "No, when are you leaving?"

Magnus' face fell almost comically. "Oh. Tomorrow."

Alec's stomach dropped, a reaction he wasn't willing to look into too much. "Where to?"

Magnus paused for a millisecond before speaking. "…Russia. Dreadful there, really."

Alec felt something akin to disappointment bubble in his stomach. "R-right." Alec swallowed, the lump in his throat growing. "So I guess I won't see you for a couple of days."

Magnus slowed his pace now that the door was in sight. "I'm leaving and that's all you have to say?"

There was a touch of hurt in his voice but Alec chose to ignore it. "Well, I don't see what it has to do with me."

Magnus flinched almost imperceptibly but he responded anyway, his grip on Alec's arm tightening "Well, I was hoping you'd stop by a couple of times for me."

Alec dug in his heals into the smooth floor at those words and shook off Magnus' grip, staring at him incredulously. "_You hoped I'd stop by a couple of times_…" he repeated dimly but shook his head disbelievingly. "Why on earth would I do that? You won't be here," he said the last part slowly, as if talking to a particularly stupid child.

Magnus rolled his eyes and hulled Alec against the door of his apartment, while he assumed a leaning position against the wall. "You know, check up on things," he said with an air of nonchalance as he examined his nails. "Get the mail, feed the cat."

Alec frowned—he seemed to do that a lot while with Magnus—and asked, the innocent curiosity in his voice pulling at the warlock's heartstrings, "And you want _me_ to do that? Why not someone else?"

Before he could even react, Magnus had pulled him into a soft kiss, anchoring him to the closed door. Alec froze—like he always did when Magnus did stuff like…_this_—as Magnus pressed his lips gently against his own. A familiar swooping feeling began to simmer in his stomach as the sensation of lips moving against his—of _Magnus_ pressed against him, pressing his against the door, taking his hand—

Then he felt the cool touch of metal being pressed into his hand. Magnus then broke off the kiss, bring Alec odd sense of loss he wasn't willing to explore, and the warlock closed Alec's hand with a small smile.

The shadowhunter stared at his closed fist in confusion. "What's this?"

Magnus looked at him strangely. "My house key."

Alec blushed deeply but nodded, tightening. He knew what the implication of taking the key was but he wasn't willing to mull it over for fear of throwing up all over Magnus' entranceway.

Reaching around Alec for the door handle, Magnus then unceremoniously shoved Alec out into the landing. "Perfect then! I'll see you tomorrow."

Thanking the Angel for his marks aiding balance, Alec spun around, frowning in bewilderment. "Wait, I thought you said—"

Magnus cut him off with a wink, the glitter of his eye shadow sparkling in the dim light from the landing. "I lied," he admitted before slamming the door on the stunned shadowhunter.

Alec stared, open-mouthed at the door for a moment, before turning his attention to the dull silver key in his palm. He wasn't quite sure what to do so he did what he did best—ignored it, by shoving the stupid thing in his jacket pocket.

And then, with a loud sigh, he shuffled down the stairs and into the Brooklyn night.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! This was my first piece of MI fanfiction, so I'm interested to see what you think!**


End file.
